Water wheel with extended vanes

ABSTRACT

A water wheel with extended vanes is disclosed. The water wheel characterized in that the rotating shaft of the water wheel is supported by bearing and a hub is mounted to the rotating shaft, a plurality of vanes are provided on the rotating shaft, and one end of each vane is connected to a connection shaft, where the other end of the connection shaft is connected to A blade, the side of the tail section of the blade is provided with a pulley which contacts with a cam when the vanes are lifted up, the cam includes a section of sliding face to drive the pulley so that the vanes and blades are in a straight line, and the bottom of the cam has a linking shaft to support and secure at the body of the water wheel. The increased arm of the vanes will effectively increase the driving force of the water wheel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] (a) Technical Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to water wheel, and in particular, to a water wheel having extended vanes to scoop up larger amount of water when the vanes are rotated.

[0003] (b) Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Taiwanese Patent No. 325820, entitled “Floating Type Powered Hydroelectric Device” discloses a water wheel where the shape of the vanes is round and the vanes are driven by water stream to drive the water wheel. The direction of rotation of the vanes is perpendicular to the water surface.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,808, entitled “Installation For Exploiting Water Current In Flowing Waters By Means Of a Plurality of Water Wheels”, disclose a water wheel which needs to have a plurality of channel on the seabed in order to convert the energy.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,742, entitled “Apparatus For Utilizing Energy Present in Flowing Water”, discloses the rotating of vanes being perpendicular to the horizon, which characterized in that the displacement of the vanes will reduce the cross-section area and therefore the resistance is reduced.

[0007] In view of the drawbacks of the conventional water wheel, it is an object of the present invention to provide a water wheel with extended vanes which mitigates the above drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a water wheel with extended vanes, characterized in that the rotating shaft of the water wheel is supported by bearings and a hub is mounted to the rotating shaft, a plurality of vanes are provided on the rotating shaft, and one end of each vane is connected to a connection shaft, where the other end of the connection shaft is connected to another vane, the side of the tail section of the vane is provided with a pulley which contact with a cam when the vanes are lifted up, the cam includes a section of sliding face to drive the pulley so that the vanes are in a straight line, and the bottom of the cam has a linking shaft to support and secure at the body of the water wheel.

[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a water wheel with extended vanes, wherein the connection shaft has a support shaft as the rotating shaft and at one side mounted the vanes is provided with a protruded block, the other side of the rotating shaft secured another vane is provided with another protruded block, thereby when the vanes move to a straight line, the protruded blocks are supported such that the connection shaft cannot be swung in one direction.

[0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide a water wheel with extended vanes, wherein the surface area of the vanes can be changed according to the depth of the streams/rivers for the reason that the curving situation of the vanes will reduce the resistance of water releasing and the torque caused by the arms of the vanes will increase the driving force of the water wheel.

[0011] The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

[0012] Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water wheel showing the extended vanes in accordance with the present invention.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the connection of the extended vanes in accordance with the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the curved connection of the extended vanes in accordance with the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the driving mechanism of the extended vanes of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 5 is a side view showing the driving mechanism of the extended vanes of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the reducing of resistance of the extended vanes in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0019] The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water wheel with extended vanes. The rotating shaft 1 is the output of the driving force, and a wheel hub 2 mounts one end of the vanes 3 onto the rotating shaft 1. Another end of the vanes 3 is connected to one end of a connection shaft 4 and the other end of the connection shaft 4 is connected to a blade 5. The connection shaft 4 is provided with a function of single direction bending and therefore the blade 5 is able to bend. As shown in FIG. 2, which shows the connection of the vanes. The connection shaft 4 employs a support shaft 41 as a rotating shaft, and one side mounted with the vanes 3 is provided with a protruded block 42, and the side mounted at the blade 5 is provided with a protruded block 43. When the vane 3 and the blade 3 are aligned, the protruded block 42 blocks the protruded block 43, thus, the blade 5 and the vane 3 can be bent in one direction, as shown in FIG. 3, showing the connection of the bending of the extended vane.

[0021] Again, as shown in FIG. 1, the vane 3 is provided with a blade 5 and at the water level 6 and the direction of the current flow 7, the blade 5 and the vane 3 are in alignment, then the kinetic energy of the current flow is converted into rotating power for the wheel hub 2. When the vane 3 raises together with the displacement of the wheel hub 2, i.e., from the forth quadrant to the first quadrant, the blade 5 lie to center of gravity will bend, as shown by the blade 51. At this instance, the weight of the blade at the first quadrant causes the torque to become a negative value. When the vane 3 moves downward together with the wheel hub 2, i.e., from the second quadrant to the third quadrant, the displacement of the blade 51 exceeds the vertical line 52, as shown by the blade 53. The center of gravity causes the lateral force to produce a downward movement. The vane 3 is at a straight line situation. At this instance, the weight of the blade will cause the torque to become a positive value. As the mass of the blade has not been changed the torque at straight line is larger than that at bending situation, therefore the difference in torque is positive. When the positive torque is exerted on the wheel hub 2. Based on the equilibrium of torque of the blade, the number of the straight blades is lesser than the bending blade, thus, the force distance of the straight blade is larger than that of the bending blade.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown the straight line configuration of the blades and therefore the force distance of the water wheel is increased. The lateral side at the tail end of the blade 5 is provided with a pulley 54, and the pulley 54 is elevated in accordance with the blade 51 and the contact with the cam 55. The cam 55 is supported with a linking shaft 9 and is mounted onto the body 11. The rotating shaft 1 of the water wheel is supported by a bearing 10. When the water wheel rotates, the blade 51 is about at the horizontal position, and the pulley 54 passes the cam 55 and is pushed by the cam 55 such that the blade moves upward rapidly As shown by the blade 56, when the displacement of the blade 56 exceeds the vertical line 57, due to the center of gravity the blade 56 produced the lateral force causes the blade to move downward, and the blade becomes a straight line, as shown by blade 58, the blade can be extended to form a straight line.

[0023]FIG. 6 shows the reducing of resistance of the extended vane. When the blade is extended to become a straight line, the resistance in the course of extension is reduced. The blade has a hollow body, containing ¾ of fluid. When the blade 51 moves close to the cam 55, as indicated by the blade 56, the fluid within the body will be changed. When the blade 56 exceeds the horizontal position, the fluid will incline towards one end of the vane. Thus the center of gravity of the blade 56 will move close to the center of the shaft 4, and the resistance of the upward movement of the blade 56 will be reduced facilitating the improvement of the blades 56.

[0024] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

[0025] While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A water wheel having extended vanes characterized in that the rotating shaft of the water wheel is supported by bearings and a hub is mounted to the rotating shaft, a plurality of vanes are provided on the rotating shaft, and one end of each vane is connected to a connection shaft, where the other end of the connection shaft is connected to another vane, the side of the tail section of the vane is provided with a pulley which contact with a cam when the vanes are lifted up, the cam includes a section of sliding face to drive the pulley so that the vanes are in a straight line, and the bottom of the cam has a linking shaft to support and secure at the body of the water wheel.
 2. The water wheel having extended vanes of claim 1, wherein the connection shaft has a support shaft as the rotating shaft and at one side mounted the vanes is provided with a protruded block, the other side of the rotating shaft secured another vane is provided with another protruded block, thereby when the vanes move to a straight line, the protruded blocks are supported such that the connection shaft cannot be swung in one direction.
 3. The water wheel having extended vanes of claim 1, wherein the length of the vanes matches the depth of water.
 4. The water wheel having extended vanes of claim 1, wherein the vanes are a hollow body partially contained a fluid. 